2000 Steps to Home
by Garden of Everything
Summary: 2000 oneshots no specific pairings [Updated Summary: Akatsuki should never play games with Deidara. No pairings.]
1. Never Know

This is basically a series of 2000 one-shots (really short to really long) that range in pairings (some don't have any). I'm willign to do requests and some of my older one-shots will be in here too. I have titles for some too. Please read and review.

I'll leave you to guess the pairing for this one.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.

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He never knew why he watched her. He never knew why he cared. All he knew was that when she smiled, rarely a real smile, he wanted to protect her. He really didn't think of the fourteen-year difference between their ages.

Every day he would see her, and it didn't matter how he saw her. Whether it is coming out of the Hokage Tower, or the hospital; her voice would always ring out sharp and clear with a cheerful edge.

She'd call him sensei. He'd always have to remind her he wasn't her sensei anymore. But then she'd always smile and wave him off.

'_But you'll always be my sensei.'_

The words registered in his mind but he just smiled joyfully and ruffled her hair. She whined as he did and he chuckled. How many times has this happened? He'd lost count.

'_Well, I should be going. Tsunade has a mission for me.'_

Always the same excuse that was answered with the same troubled face. He then left smiling until he was well out of the sight of anyone. Then, when no one else was around, he let his shield crack.


	2. Three Years and a Sakura Tree

Okay I came up with this because I'm bored. It's very short and was inspired by a song my sister has stuck in my head, I forget the name. I thought it was kind of cute and hopefully you will too. I have serious writer's block for my other stories. T.T This is a NejiSaku pairing so if you don't like the pairing I advise you not to read, it's common sense. Anyways, please read, review and please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Three Years and a Sakura Tree**

* * *

He sighed, this was what, the twentieth time he had walked past the same spot. 

'_Why the hell do I care so much anyways? It's not like I'm going to find anything or…see her.'_

White-eyes stared intensely at the offending Sakura tree where he was standing.

_Flashback_

"_OI NEJI! Did you hear the news? Sasuke-teme just proposed to Sakura-chan!" an overly excited blonde haired dobe shouted waving frantically for the Hyuga to join himself and his girlfriend._

_End Flashback_

"It shouldn't have shocked me but…" Neji punched the tree and let his head hang. "It was three years ago, three years. She's not going to wait for someone like me."

"Who's not going to wait for someone like you Neji-san?" came a soft voice making the Byakugan user jump. He was too caught up in his thoughts and he silently cursed himself when he realized whom it was.

"No one Haruno." his voice was sharp and it hurt him to talk like that, but it was the image he had made.

"Really? You didn't even notice me and well…what are you doing out here so late?" Sakura was standing next to Neji. _'He won't even look at me.'_

"I should be asking you the same question Haruno." was the reply she got, and as always it made her smile.

'_I can always count on him to be consistent.'_ she then frowned as she caught what he whispered.

"Congratulations on your engagement."

Sakura's heart stopped; he was congratulating her. He **_actually_** thought that she still had feelings for Sasuke.

"Actually, Neji-san…the truth is…I never accepted." Sakura was looking down and missed the shocked look on Neji's face as his head shot up.

"Why?" he was surprised he had asked but he found his voice wasn't cold and that he couldn't hide the hope that was appearing from that one sentence.

"I can't love him and he doesn't love me. He just wants someone to rebuild his clan and I don't want to be used for that…" Sakura trailed off.

"Sakura." her head shot up, not once had he called her Sakura before. "Would you like to go out for lunch tomorrow? I'll call you if you want to."

"Of course Neji." Sakura smiled and didn't feel insulted at all that he just left without a second glance. Instead she felt happy, she was going to see him tomorrow.

'Maybe coming here tonight was fate, it is after all where we got to know each other three years ago.'

As Sakura disappeared the Sakura blossoms started to dance on the wind that rushed through the branches.


	3. Backstabbing

Okay I was bored (I also had writer's block) and decided to do from a point of view that the people of Konoha are evil. This is from the daughter of Sasuke and Sakura's point of view, I know it sucks but I felt like posting it.Feel free to critisize but please review. Remember this is just something I did quickly and is totally not supposed to be an actual attempt at something, I just want to know what you think of my random stories. Pairings are like SasuSaku, NejiTen

**Warnings: Future fic, OCs, character death**

**Disclaimer**: You know the drill

* * *

**Backstabbing**

Footsteps echoed through the empty hallway and shouts raged.

"Find her!" came the deep voice of a male shinobi.

"She can't be allowed to get away!" came another, a female voice.

'_Can't be allowed to get away huh?'_ I thought. _'You accept my father back into the village and then you turn around and kill him when Orochimaru comes back. Then when my mother tries to stop you from killing me you kill her too? What a group of bastards you are now.'_

The footsteps grew louder and heavier. From my hiding spot in the rafters of the Audience Chamber I look down upon those who pursued me. One, the commander, had white eyes and chocolate hair; the second in command had brown hair and brown eyes.

"Hyuga Neji-sama, Hyuga TenTen-san. You really shouldn't pursue someone who could kill you in an instant."

The shinobi and kunoichi on the ground frantically looked around for me. They'll never find me though.

"Show yourself." Neji hissed activating his Byakugan. TenTen got out her weapons.

"Now, now. If I did that you'd get caught up in my illusions. I'd rather beat you in a far fight." I smirked as Hyuga-sama growled.

He turned to his team and ordered them to leave, that he and his wife would take care of it.

"Do you really think you can defeat me? Even your prodigal son couldn't."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Hyuga-san shouted.

"His team was sent to kill me far before yours was." my voice held sadness that I didn't want to show through. "A kunoichi must never get attached to anything, it will only lead to weakness."

That line was drilled into my head since I was younger, I know it off by heart, I know why it was said but I could never contemplate the complete meaning of it until now.

"Even when you think that your own village will not take the chance to kill you if you are a threat, they will. I have done nothing to this village but protect it; being the daughter of Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Sakura you wish to kill me because of the threat from Sound. If you wish to kill then try, though you will fail; I'm no longer part of this village. Since one should never abandon fellow shinobi, the teams sent before yours are downstairs hidden under a special blanket; feel around for them."

With that I, Uchiha Midori, became a missing-nin. My father and mother were killed mercilessly when Orochimaru returned and I only escaped by pure chance. I guess Kami-sama was working for me on this day.

"I'm sorry Yuki." I whispered as white eyes opened to the ceiling of a hospital room. I knew he could hear me and I regret having to hurt him, I regret having to hurt them all.


	4. Suicidal Beauty

No pairings

**Warning:** **Character death/suicide**

**Disclaimer**: You know the drill

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_'Why can't you notice me?'_

The woman sighed.

_'I tried for so long and worked so hard. You even cared for those you didn't know more than you cared for me. I was always the shy girl in the corner.'_

Shivering at the chill and pain racing up her arms.

_'I won't take it anymore. I'm always pushed to be greater, to be the perfect heir! They always tell me how she is better than I'll ever be. Actually, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!'_

A small smiled formed on the woman's lips as she reflected.

_'There's one thing that **you** or **them** could never have, my friendship with my girls. They suffer like I do and they try so hard. Though none of them have to be a heir like I do, they still suffer greatly though, it's getting better for them.'_

The woman lay down on her white bed and stared with blank eyes up at the ceiling with the smile still on her lips.

_'They'll cry but they'll know I'm not in pain anymore. I hope you realize the things you always ignored before it's too late for you. I've always wished for you to be happy and if I can't be happy with you I want this to be my last goodbye.'_

There were loud footsteps and a fist pounding on the door.

_'I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I know that it's the coward's way out but right now, I don't care. I'm completely numb and I have been for a while now. My girls noticed, but I pretended nothing was wrong. They left it at that, and I'm glad. I'm sure they knew what was wrong but they decided to let me deal with it.'_

"OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!" came the shout of the woman's father.

_'I'm not in pain anymore so be happy for me. I guess a lot of people were right, I was always too soft and kind to be born into the Hyuga Clan.'_

"HINATA!" Hiashi screamed as he broke down the door and ran into the room.

"Hyuga-san! Stop! You have to stop!" Haruno Sakura cried followed closely by Yamanaka Ino, Sabaku no Temari and TenTen. All four girls cried out as Hiashi stopped dead.

Hiashi shouted for Sakura to heal his daughter but she knew it was far to late, she begged for him to just leave well enough alone as tears fell. Everyone near the room was alerted, but Hinata. Nothing could bring the heiress back now; she was content and though she would always miss the life she never got to live fully, she will always love her friends.

_'I love everyone so much. Please don't worry, I'm happy and it would have happened either way._

_Love,_

_Hyuga Hinata.'_

The perfectly white room was now red, for on the twenty-seventh of December Hyuga Hinata took her own life.


	5. Alone

This one is obviously a NejiTen one-shot.

**Disclaimer**: you know the drill.

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"Ne…neji."

"What is it TenTen?" Neji asked looking at his teammate.

"Hin…Hinata's party…for…for her becoming," TenTen started coughing and Neji sat up straighter and leaned forwards. "Becoming ANBU…it…it's next week."

"I know TenTen." Neji realized how numb his hand had gone. TenTen sure had a strong grip.

"She really wanted us there." TenTen didn't cough or stumble on her words during that sentence.

"I know TenTen."

Neji sat there with his back against a tree. He looked at TenTen and then up towards the sky. It looked so close and it was becoming lighter, close to midday. After nearly five minutes TenTen spoke again.

"Neji?"

"Yes TenTen?"

"Go…good. You…you're still here." another coughing fit, this time lasting about three minutes.

"Neji?"

"Yes TenTen?"

"I…I can't see. It's ge…getting blurry and da…dark." TenTen sounded scared. For the first time in the time Neji had known her, she sounded scared.

"I know TenTen."

"Pro…promise me you…you'll stay?"

"I promise TenTen." Neji replied squeezing her hand, though she couldn't feel it. She'd gone numb a while ago.

"Go…good. I do…don't want to be a…alone." TenTen's voice trembled and Neji gingerly let go of her hand and brought her fragile, broken body to his chest.

"Ne…neji?"

"Yes TenTen?"

How many times had he repeated this after she asked his name? How many times had he answered her in the monotone voice of his? How many times had she sounded so scared?

"Pr…promise to bring me h…home?"

"I promise TenTen."

This time he couldn't keep the sadness out of his voice. This time he felt tears burn at the edges of his eyes; this time…this time he let them fall.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata shouted coming upon the clearing.

"Neji! Dude…come on!" Kiba tried shaking him.

Sakura shoved them out of the way and checked the pulse of both fallen ANBU; they were the only two out of the team of six that they could find. While she went through her medical routine the five behind her held their breaths. She sat back on her heals and shook her head sadly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next day six names were carved onto the memorial stone. Two of which stood out clearly, sharp and cold in the stone.

Hyuga Neji TenTen 

Their ANBU squad had been sent on a mission regarding Akatsuki. None made it home alive.

The revival team sent out a week after they were supposed to return, only found two of the six. The team consisted of Hyuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Nara Shikamaru and Uzumaki Naruto.

The two received a private burial with only nineteen people attending. Those who attended were of course: the Godaime Hokage Tsunade, Hyuga Hinata, Rock Lee, Maito Gai, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji, Sabaku no Temari, Sabaku no Kankurou, Sabaku no Gaara, Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai, Shizune and even Uchiha Sasuke attended.

In the end, Neji kept his promise. Through his cousin, and his friends.


	6. Rescue Me

I don't really know how I came up with this. I'll give you a cookie if you guess who this is centred around. Nee-ways, hope you enjoy it and reviews would be nice.

**Disclaimer**: You know the drill.

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**Rescue Me**

_I'm drowning._

I can't do anything but sit here and take it.

_I'm drowning._

Onee-san is useless to the clan. She's not strong, and she'll never be strong. Otou-san and the elders think she is completely useless, I should agree shouldn't I? She's really useless so I'm going to take her place.

_I'm drowning._

My cousin is a prodigy but he's in the branch house. He'd rather kill everyone in the main house than keep them alive, but he has too.

_I'm drowning._

Otou-san pushes me to be my best. I try and try but it never works, I'm never my best. He always finds flaws; but doesn't he have flaws too?

_I'm drowning._

The elders think that anyone who shows signs of weakness is useless. Is that really fair though? I mean onee-san is a good person to her friends and is always willing to help. She never gave up against cousin.

_I'm drowning._

I've cried so much I can't cry anymore. It is good though because crying is a sign of weakness.

_I'm drowning._

There are no more tears or sign of weakness and yet…

_I'm still drowning._

Someone please, please rescue me.


	7. Thou Shall Not Kill

Really the title is just something I came up with off the top of my head. If you can suggest a better title then please do.

**Warnings**: spoilers for after the time-jump

**Disclaimer**: You know the drill.

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"Talking"

* * *

**Thou Shall Not Kill**

A scream pierced the air so loud it could be heard for miles.

"That was for Sasori-danna, un." the speaker glanced at the bloody and broken body on the ground in front of him. It had a hole through its chest, the chest of a young woman, and was mutilated beyond recognition.

"Bastard," the girl of sixteen years that knelt ten feet away from him growled while healing the wound on her arm.

"You killed Sasori-danna first, un. I just returned the favour, un."

The girl was about to respond but she was cut off by an amused voice.

"Deidara, you going to kill her yet?"

"She's going to die now Kisame-san, un…" the man, Deidara replied stepping towards the kunoichi.

"There is no way in hell I'm going to be killed by a missing-nin. Especially one from Akatsuki," the kunoichi hissed putting chakra into her right fist.

Unfortunately, neither the Akatsuki member nor the kunoichi got to attack. Another person appeared behind the kunoichi and in a monotone told the other two Akatsuki members their new mission.

"We are to bring the kunoichi back to base as bait for the Kyuubi vessel."

"But Itachi-san, un!" was the last thing the pink-haired kunoichi heard before blacking out.


	8. Powerful Doesn’t Mean Invincible

This is for the sennin and is totally made up by me.

**Warnings**: spoilers for Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru (the flashbacks have some of the spoilers but are made by me), character death

**Disclaimer**: You know the drill.

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"Talking" 

_'Thinking'_

_**Flashbacks**_

* * *

**Powerful Doesn't Mean Invincible**

"Jiraiya…" the blonde woman closed her eyes tightly against the tears that were forming.

* * *

"_**Hey flat-chested Tsunade!" a white haired boy around the age of twelve called to his blonde teammate.**_

_**Unfortunately for him, he'd forgotten about Tsunade's super strength and ended up beaten to a bloody pulp as their normally stoic teammate snickered.**_

**_After the sole female of the team stormed off their sensei walked over to the boy lying on the ground._**

"_**You know Jiraiya, you should use mare tact around her."**_

"_**But the name's the truth Sarutobi-sensei!" Jiraiya replied wincing.**_

"_**You're an idiot Jiraiya," the last person on the team replied before leaving himself.**_

"_**SHUT UP OROCHIMARU!"**_

* * *

As Jiraiya coughed Tsunade's attention was drawn away from the gaping hole in his stomach. 

"Hey, flat-chested Tsunade?"

"What is it baka?"

"Beat up Orochimaru for a change?" Jiraiya grinned before coughing again.

"Baka…" Tsunade whispered as Jiraiya finally fell. She then turned her attention to the man laughing in front of her.

"My, my Tsunade-hime. Don't you look angry?" Orochimaru voiced thought it sounded much more like he was hissing.

* * *

"_**Orochimaru you bastard!" Jiraiya shouted at the stoic youth. "Tsunade's otouto just died and you're enjoying it!"**_

"_**I don't know where you get that idea," Orochimaru replied in monotone with the smallest of smiles on his face.**_

"_**WHY YO-" Jiraiya never got to finish for Tsunade had punched him through the already-near destroyed wall.**_

"_**FOR ONCE JUST STOP FIGHTING!" Tsunade screamed clutching her grandfather's necklace. She then ran away leaving her two very surprised teammates behind.**_

"_**Why do I always get hit when you're the bastard?" Jiraiya asked Orochimaru rubbing his head.**_

* * *

"You bastard! How could you? First you kill Sarutobi-sensei now Jiraiya!" Tsunade cried through her tears. "I swear for all my loved ones, everyone you've killed and the future of Konoha today is the day you die! Whether I have to die with you or not!" 

The battle of the sennin's left none of the three alive. Each died by one of the other's hands as their students hoped their sensei would survive through the fight. During Tsunade's and Orochimaru's one on one battle, one of the students looked at his sensei with shock and dread.

Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto returned to Konoha after the battle with good and bad news. Konoha was safe and Orochimaru was dead, but the last of the sennin's students, Uchiha Sasuke, disappeared never to be seen again.


	9. Honey, if you love me?

Random drabble I thought up. I suddenly have a HUGE obsession with Deidara and Sasori! Please don't hurt me. Also if anyone can get me out of writer's block for my other stories, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO!

**Warnings**: Has characters from after the time jump

**Disclaimer**: You know the drill.

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"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

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"Sasori-danna, un?"

"What Deidara?" Sasori replied sighing. He turned to the blonde and nearly jumped back; Deidara was mere centimetres away from his face.

"Will you play a game with me, un? Everyone else will if you play, un."

"Exactly what game do you want to play Deidara?" Sasori's eyes narrowed at the look of innocence Deidara was pulling.

"Well, un. I was thinking we could play something like, 'Honey, if you love me?', un!" Deidara exclaimed grinning and jumping back. He put his hands behind his back and started to rock back and forth on his feet.

"Never heard of it. Explain the rules and then maybe."

"Well, say I was the first person to go, un. I'd have to choose someone to play with for the part of the game, un. I'd choose you! So I'd go up to you and try to make you laugh or smile without tickling you, un. While asking, "Honey, if you love me won't you please, please smile?" Then you'd have to respond "Honey, I love you but I just can't smile." without laughing or smiling, un!" Deidara explained.

_'I'm a puppet…I don't laugh. Deidara doesn't know this and neither do the others…'_

"All right Deidara. I'll play with you." Sasori smirked while Deidara cheered and ran to get the others.

'_Blackmail here I come.'_

**And the moral of this story children of Akatsuki is,**

**Never ask a puppet to play "Honey, if you love me?" with you for he cannot laugh and will win every time. Also he will get a large amount of blackmail to use against you when you are bugging him.**


End file.
